PCToday

Passionate professionals looking to share their time-tested proficiency in a fresh and rewarding venue need travel no farther than Penn College, where a new video encourages potential faculty members to help develop the very future of their respective fields.

The seven-minute video, the handiwork of writer/producer Tom Speicher, reflects a series of five-year institutional initiatives. It features footage of the college’s inviting environment, as well as interviews with some of the faculty and administrators who enhance their campus surroundings through fervent daily contributions.

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Growing up, Christopher M. Hile often shadowed his father into the family’s woodshop above their three-car garage. He watched and assisted his dad, an accomplished woodworker, restore countless pieces of furniture and build requested items, like deli racks for grocery stores.

That introduction to design and production optimization served as a window to his future – a future shaped by a hands-on Pennsylvania College of Technology education and dedicated to designing life-affirming products.

Hile, a Boyertown native, is a mechanical designer for MPR Associates Inc., a multidiscipline, specialty engineering services and consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. MPR boasts clients in fields ranging from power and energy to health and life sciences.

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A partnership with ABB, a leading global technology company, is bringing an industrial robot and software licenses to Pennsylvania College of Technology for instructional use in manufacturing engineering programs.

ABB, based in Zurich, Switzerland, with U.S. operations headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is providing i$150,000 worth of software licenses for offline programming of its YuMi robot, which the college has purchased. This eliminates the need for programming at the robot itself using the teach pendant. The software can communicate with all ABB robots to download and upload files. Software benefits include freeing the robot for production or maintenance and allowing multiple programmers simultaneously to create and edit programs.  In manufacturing, today, most robot programs are created offline and “touched up” at production lines.

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Catcher Brittan C. Kittle, recently added to the Williamsport Crosscutters roster after a standout performance as a Penn College Wildcat, is already a fan favorite among the Bowman Field faithful after only three games behind the plate. The most decorated baseball player in the institution’s history, Kittle – a Millville resident who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in plastics and polymer engineering technology – left the college as its all-time leader in hits (169), home runs (22), runs scored (113) and doubles (43). Kittle is profiled in Thursday’s Williamsport Sun-Gazette, the morning after he went 2 for 2 against the Frederick Keys. The Crosscutters play in the MLB Draft League in its inaugural season at the historic local ballpark, where Kittle played home games with his Chris Howard-coached college squad.

Tic-tac-toe! A caterpillar! Waves! Those were some of the imaginative observations made by the “Summer Bunch” from the Dunham Children’s Learning Center on their Wednesday morning visit to The Gallery at Penn College.

The 4- and 5-year-olds from Pennsylvania College of Technology’s early childhood care facility immersed themselves in the gallery’s current exhibit, “Textiles in Translation,” and engaged in a hands-on project assisted by CLC and gallery staff.

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A sale of surplus Residence Life items – featuring beds, desks and other used furniture from on-campus housing – will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday in the Rose Street Commons Courtyard. The first hour will be open to employees, students and retirees only; the general public will be admitted at 10 a.m. Transactions will be cash-only, and all items must be removed on the day of the sale. Additional information is available from Judi Barr, senior accountant in Financial Operations, or by consulting the event flyer: Surplus Property Sale

Author Megan E. Rogers, a Penn College employee, and sons Mason and Christopher were featured in a segment of WBRE’s “PA live!” on Monday afternoon. Co-hosts Haley Bianco and Christopher Bohinski interviewed the family about “Meet Mason,” a newly published and beautifully illustrated book designed to boost readers’ understanding of special needs and to help them discern the too-often-unseen similarities alongside those differences. “Even without vision, there’s still vision,” Megan said. “One of the things that Mason has taught me is to see things in a different way, without my eyes. To be able to see with my heart; something as simple as the sun shining on your face. When I see him smile, you appreciate that on a whole ‘nother level.” The book is available from Amazon in paperback ($15) and at a pair of local book-signings in the coming weeks: The Otto Bookstore on June 26 and at North Central Sight Services on July 18.

A communitywide Flags Across America ceremony, a Flag Day tradition near the base of the towering “Stars and Stripes” outside the Student & Administrative Services Center, was held Monday evening at Penn College. Individuals and organizations lined up in the large parking lot south of Madigan Library at 6:20 p.m. shortly before stepping off for a brief march to the SASC, where entertainment included a concert by the Repasz Band Brass Ensemble. Participants joined in a national Pledge of Allegiance at 7 p.m. The event honored the late Anthony L. DiSalvo, longtime organizer of the annual Flag March (altered this year due to COVID) and a driving force behind installation of the college’s 1,800-square-foot American flag more than two decades ago. The Williamsport Sun-Gazette, which recently editorialized about the college’s hosting of the event, recapped the evening in its Wednesday editions.

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology students and their professor recently shared their expertise as part of Pennsylvania Prevention Week 2021, which encourages citizens across the commonwealth to recognize the importance of substance abuse prevention as a priority for public health.

In an 18-minute video, students Alexandria M. George and Cydney L. Ginter and faculty member Elizabeth E. Winder discussed “Utilizing the PAYS in Higher Education.” The PAYS (Pennsylvania Youth Survey) is a survey of sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grade students that gathers insights into young people’s behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence.

“I routinely use this survey to help my students better understand data-driven decision making and to help them understand how to prescribe evidence-based programs based on targeted, community need,” said Winder, assistant professor of human services and restorative justice.

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Zack Moore, vice president for government and community relations for Penn State, has been named to the Board of Directors at Pennsylvania College of Technology, a special mission affiliate of Penn State.

Recently appointed by The Corporation for Penn State, Moore succeeds Michael DiRaimo, who had served on the Penn College Board since 2017.

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Public Relations & Marketing at Pennsylvania College of Technology took home gold, bronze and honorable mention recognition in the 2021 CUPPIE Awards sponsored by CUPRAP, College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals.

The 14th annual CUPPIE Awards featured 357 entries from colleges, universities, agencies and providers of private, specialized and secondary education and accreditation. Penn College was honored for writing, video and magazine production efforts completed between Dec. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2020.

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Megan E. Rogers has preached to her son who is blind that there is nothing he can’t do; he just might have to discover a different way to do it.

For proof, she can point to herself.

The Pennsylvania College of Technology employee and single mom of two wasn’t blessed with writing experience, but that didn’t prevent her from authoring a recently published children’s book. For Rogers, maternal love proved more valuable than a background rooted in prose.

The result is “Meet Mason,” a 32-page illustrated book inspired by her 9-year-old son who has been blind since birth. The text – written from Mason’s perspective – and color illustrations of the youngster in various settings are designed to help kids relate to those who are blind or have other special needs.

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Pennsylvania’s transition from spring to summer can bring some unpredictable conditions: steamy days, cool nights and a seemingly ever-present threat of showers. Penn College Police Officer Daniel A. Kilgus took this engaging panoramic photo of the sky over the Bush Campus Center, just before Friday morning’s rain moved in. Eerie and menacing, perhaps, but with the silver-lining promise of another day.

WELLSBORO, Pa. – Excellent career opportunities for licensed practical nurses exist in area hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, personal care facilities and human service organizations.

Penn College at Wellsboro’s Practical Nursing Program will host information sessions for those interested in nursing as a career. Sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 15, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St.

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PCToday continues its regular feature – welcoming new full-time and regular part-time Pennsylvania College of Technology employees, as reported by the Human Resources Office.

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